Invincible
by Lone Wolf Man
Summary: Because everyone is susceptible to physical injury and emotional distress. Brave Vesperia and Estelle included... what about Yuri? YuriXEstelle


**I do not own Tales of Vesperia. Namco Bandai does.**

**Invincible**

Everyone know the names of those in the conquest to subjugate the returning Adephagos plundering Terca Lumires.

Brave Vesperia.

Karol Capel, its oh so faithful leader, had his fair share experience even in his young age of twelve. The dynamic change in his life had evolved this once cowardly young man to the renowned founder of the Brave Vesperia he is today. No longer had he run away from any form of danger approaching and now he was the one to lead the guild to face the catastrophe.

Repede, the strangely intelligent canine. He was like a dog yet with a soul unlike one. His pride unwavering as the Big Boss of all dogs and cats of every corner and he showed no fear of every instigator to challenge his position. His loyalty to his master, well, what's more to say for a dog who would follow said man to every corner of the world with no doggy whine of his?

Rita Mordio. Ah, _the_ Rita Mordio, _the_ Genius Mage whose name people shudder in fear and awe upon mentioning in spite her age. Not really a member yet followed Brave Vesperia all her own in the journey of the impossible. Her robust dedication towards blastia so fervid; no knights, no mages, no Entelexia and not even the Adephagos can make her fold - it was like trying to convince her that babies could crawl up a tree.

Judith. Always the mysterious Krityan but strong and independent on her own even without Ba'ul. The swing of her spear equaled how her feet carried her; you'd think that she is the goddess of the moon itself. The way she always smiled so vexingly and nonchalantly, hmm... perhaps she had already forgotten the opponent she killed the moment it was over.

Raven, former Schwann Brigade's captain, hero of the Great War and close friend of Don Whitehorse. Despite his constant crude innuendos and his devil-may-care lifestyle, he's actually pretty amazing for an old man who had abandoned his previous life of colorful achievements. Always the one to actually light up the day, he is. Most of all however, he takes a great pride of being the second punching bag of Rita Mordio.

So what does that say when they are the warriors trying to save the world? Does that mean that they are always impregnable, that no swords from the enemies nor fire from the dragons can ever bring down their defense? Does that mean that they will remain sanguine, that no heartbreak nor no dark moments that they cannot smile on any other day?

Does that mean that they are invincible? Just like of how the fairy tales foretold of?

They were _not_ invincible.

Because when it comes down to it: they are still mortals. And mortal are susceptible to physical injuries and to emotional distress.

Even Karol had his moment when he still need to brood and sulk; try as he may be to remain strong. No one could deny the impact from the betrayal of the Hunting Blades and the death of Don Whitehorse whenever it strike the child even today. You'll still find when Karol stare desolately towards the nightly sky as Fierta sailed through the air.

Everyone know Repede's not just your everyday dog. When his master was lost at sea on one fateful occasion, the canine had grown so antsy and frantic. Only a mere handful of people were allowed to be by his side during the period without growling at them, not even children which was to say something - because Repede likes children. And he was so upset himself, he had done the impossible: he had once dive in the ocean in search for the lost man and he hates water.

Blastia might be Rita's prowess. Now when it struck her, it might also be the end of her. The Heliord incident had proved enough that Rita has no qualms to die for them. But now as the price of destroying Adephagos was to eliminate all blastias, you could say that that's finally something that can make Rita Mordio fold.

Judith's strong. No doubt about it. So what? She would still keel over in exhaustion from taking care of Ba'ul. For once, she failed to hide her tears when she embarked on a journey to convert Entelexias across the planet into Spirits despite that they were on a good cause. It was like trying to sacrifice your friends for the sake of the better.

Raven's not without a ghost of his own. He may act like he no longer care of what's behind him, but in rare moments, he_ do_ care. So much that at one moment he was smiling and flirting, the next when he turned his back, what's left on the grin of his face dissolve into the remnants of bitterness.

See? Hero or not, there must be a crack somewhere in everyone.

So much space for thoughts, Estelle strutted quietly across the deck of the Fierta inanimately evaluating the ominous pinkish-orange. The color was bleak to hers eyes, for that was the color of their impending doom, or so they say. Her friends were on their own usual business and Estelle couldn't find a heart to interrupt any of them, in spite knowing that they wouldn't mind.

As Estelle quietly brings her muse to an end, she sigh. _Even I am not invincible_, she thought resolutely. Even with the cheerful, optimistic front she brings forth each and every time, the princess knew better on how she assess herself than anyone else.

Even her, Estellise Sidos Heurassein, has her moment of weakness.

Specifically when she was under the control of Alexei... when she and Yuri—

She stopped.

Estelle gasped when she finally realizes that she had left someone out.

Yuri Lowell. How could she ever forget someone like him?

Speaking of which, has she ever seen the swordsman in his moment of weakness? Just as she was about to find one in the remnants of her sea of memories, there the man stood. Leaning across the railings, he is admiring the sky with passion as his fingers play with the ropes attached to his scabbard. His long, dark mane breezes through the air as where the wind blows.

There stood Yuri Lowell, whistling.

She taked a step forward and he noticed her presence immediately. His head turned and Estelle almost managed another gasp.

"What's up, Estelle?" he smiled.

There are none in the world that she found who had no apparent reaction to the menacing colors or the colossal being in the sky. Even if a speck of fear or a frown on their brows and yet...

His eyes sparkled ebulliently, as if the pinkish-orange in the sky is nothing more than the color of your every dusk. His smile irreproachable, as if the Adephagos is nothing more than a cloud drifting through.

It throws off her train of thoughts entirely.

She return his smile with a wider one nevertheless.

* * *

She tried to stifle her giggle. No, she couldn't laugh, it's rude but...

Yuri groaned again for the second time, "_Why_ are we going there again?" as he made a long face which was clearly exaggerated.

And came the oh-so great Raven: "I told you because Rita needed a break from that eyesore and because we're getting all scrawny just flying around!"

A little smirk, "So why Yumanju? You could get a break anywhere and I'm sure there's plenty of monsters elsewhere."

"I-uh," Estelle immediately knew who had an edge in this little debate, "well, monsters there are good enough fer' Judy and it's close enough ta get supplies and—"

"Sure, master Raven. Enlighten me next time with your great wisdom in the art of excuses." and here are your winner, Yuri Lowell championed against Raven. "Just admit it next time you wanted your chance to peek at baths."

Estelle finally had the will to interrupt and tugged at Yuri's arm gently. "Now, now Yuri,"

"Tch, I know."

Yuri turned his back quickly to avoid the next verbal assail from that witty old man—as Rita delicately put it. Estelle followed suit. If she didn't knew any better, she was sure that the Entelexia carrying them was rolling its eyes upwards for their little banter.

Nevertheless, the ever soft-hearted swordsman signaled for Ba'ul to change course.

As everyone expected, the oldest of the team was the first to bail when Judith suggested for a 'walk' outside, instead, he volunteered to keep an eye out at the spa resort. Fortunately for every female in Yumanju though, Rita Mordio had a mind for a dip herself. So off she went and kicked him out—pun intended—soon as he tried. "We're all safer in the jaws of Brutal for all I care!"

Henceforth; formed the' walk outside' party of Estelle herself, Yuri (because he's bored), Judith (because she's the mastermind) and the sadly included Raven (because Rita banned him from nearing the resort)- leaving behind Karol and Repede to watch over Rita. Surprisingly, the mage shown no discontent of having the canine's company, given her dislike of dogs.

And as fast as it was over, their little banter began again.

"Aww, why can't I stay behind? An old man deserve his good ole' bath after all!"

"Because you were the one suggested we stop here, enthusiastically I might add." smiled Judith sweetly.

"And because you need me to leave you rock bottom on the spring when we really get back there." added Yuri.

The latter two glare pointedly at the archer, leaving him with no choice but to seek the princess for a bit consolation.

"Um..." Estelle stuttered, "Because having you brightens the mood?"

"Aww thanks, lil' miss."

Because they were having a walk in Judith's term, certainly it would't be without bits of excitement in the mix. The occasional hostile encounter here and there provided some amusement for the party—only for Judith and Yuri's part—and by the time they reached the end of the forest, Raven had himself prepared to throw in the towels.

If anything, Judith did not simply circle the forest until the monster came to them themselves, she provoked them.

Well, Estelle was far too polite to question Judith and Yuri didn't have a speck of mind to bother...

So when they were positive that Raven was about to keel, then she finally declared her magic words: "Let's head back." There were absolutely no disagreement when Yuri volunteered to take the lead back the forest.

Everything was safe and sound... at least they thought it was.

"GET DOWN!"

The surprised gasp never left Estelle's lip just as a pair of lithe arms tackled her down to the grassy ground. The foliage crumbled in a sharp crunch. Through her peripheral vision, Estelle could see that Yuri unsheathe his blade without his usual flourish and Raven barely draw an arrow. Then shortly, a deadly screech of an avian pierced the grave silence of the night.

What's going on?

A strong gush of wind tousled her hair right after Judith pushed the princess to the side until both were prone to the ground. Nanoseconds later, a gust of dark violet raced past before her very eyes. So close, so close that she even could smell the unmistakable stench of blood and monster.

Only then Estelle realized that they had narrowly avoided a preemptive dive attack. What was that creature that had just attacked them?

No time to ponder this however. Whatever it was, the party were positive that the avian didn't provoke them just to play catch. Judith, agile as she ever was, rolled herself up gracefully, her spear already poised upon her forearm. Estelle refused to fall behind neither, clambering her way up the ground and regrouped soon as the monster turned swiftly in the air to face the humans.

It uttered another high-pitched cry. The flap of its wings showcasing its pride to its apparent prey. The crimson eyes glaring as it calculated the movements of those below.

Raven took the opportune moment to yank a Magic Lens out from his inventory. Brief seconds later, his frown grew imminent and he discarded the spent item to the ground, "Just our luck. It's a Giganto; more precisely: a Griffin."

"What gigantic monster," Estelle made the first comment of so.

"Sure it is, for a Giganto," Yuri's posture lowered slightly, preparing himself for another dive, "careful, I think it's coming again."

His words proven true, the Griffin glided down the air and landed in front of its opponents. The ground shook in a short tremor as its weight alighted the earth. Now stood nose-to-nose—or rather, nose-to-chest—Brave Vesperia couldn't help a shudder facing such massive creature, its height twice of theirs and its eyes dip down slightly to choose its first victim.

The closest one happened to be Yuri, who raised his sword in time to brace for a direct melee from the beast.

Claw met blade in a clang, Yuri misjudged the beast's strength and was forced to perform a side leap to save his life. The Griffin took the moment to recover, giving the surrounding a cursory sweep to appraise his advantage; after all, a beast and a wing were always a good combination for the kill. Back to his feet, Yuri couldn't ignore his glower as he began assimilating his strategy. "Estelle, Raven, stay behind the ranks to try picking it off from a distance and provide assistance if needed. Judy, you and I encircle it and see if we can chip it."

"Understood!" "Roger!" "Got it!"

Thus, charged the swordsman and Krityan forward to provide the much needed distraction. As planned, Estelle heed to Yuri's command and begin retreating a safe distance from the clash of might. Getting right to work, the healer made her first move to cast a damaging spell, "Photon!"

Raven followed shortly, his blastia conveying energy to his bow and with a cry, sprang forward an aer infused arrow towards its feathery target.

Holy light emerged from the beneath the avian's feet and the meleeing duo, Yuri and Judith gauge their moment until sparkles burst through their enemy and they took the golden moment to strike simultaneously. Second Star's downward slash and Brionac's fearful thrust converged onto Griffin's feather and Yuri scowled when it came to contact; the creature's feather was inches thick, it was like hacking through a thick pillow.

As if to mock the feeble attack, Griffin revolved its entire bulk in one powerful spin. Sensing danger abound, Judith recoiled her spear in a defensive posture when a gust of tornado pummeled through. "Lunar Storm!" cried Judith, then backstep enough to avoid the collision between the two forces. Yuri turned fleetly to face the danger, his bodhi blastia blinked once and he swept the ground with his blade twice producing two punishing pressure of aer, "Azure Storm!" In an aiding effort, Yuri's assault brought forward more jounce to the already agitated tornado.

In time precisely with the frontal assault, Estelle cast Force Field to her two friends just when an explosion erupted into the dead of night, the blessed circle surrounded the two protectively. Caught in the blast, Griffin cawed raucously whilst stumbling a few steps backward. Adding insult to injury, Raven fired off another powered arrow, which it finally pierced through the feathers in its moment of weakness.

Seeing blood, Brave Vesperia's spirit uplifted as they finally had a hand in the battle. It was short-lived however, because the Griffin recovered soon as it was staggered. Angered beyond reasons, the beast charged indiscriminately towards Raven who drew the first blood. The ex-captain withdraw his bow instantly and kicked his feet forward, meeting the animal head-on. But instead of an offensive maneuver, Raven slid down right underneath and met his eyes with Yuri.

"Up you go, kid!" he yelled, bending his knees forward while prone and the swordsman stepped on. Like a springboard, Raven boosted Yuri's jump and he landed successively right on top of the Griffin's torso.

The swordsman didn't even balance himself when he held his katana in a reverse grip then plunged it deep into body.

It was difficult at first for the blade to cut past the thick coating of the avian. With another push of his ambidextrous arms, Yuri cried triumphantly when half of the blade embedded into Griffin's flesh, followed by piercing screech.

"Yuri!" Estelle's eyes widen in urgency.

The Giganto reacted to the scuffle by bucking violently and slammed it the side. The sword must have caught between the sinew and the muscles, because the Griffin struggled with Yuri like a man breaking a stallion. When the blade plucked off in a rapid fashion, the abruptness cause Yuri to fall off and land without flair onto his back. Summoning its surge of strength, the Griffin stampeded away far from the battlefield. For a fleeting moment, the party had assumed that it was making its escape.

It was far from over however, the proud bird scratched the ground and turned in a perfect one-eighty degrees. Gathering all its vigor onto its wings, Griffin flapped forward. Just once. But enough to conjure another cyclone of wind and lightning and energy that the previous one was nothing to compare. The velocity was so significant, no Brave Vesperia could survive without a proper defense. Raven tried his best to shield Estelle from the storm while Judith had a hard time covering her eyes from the obscuring sand.

Scarce in time to escape and the assistance from his comrade, Yuri had no choice but to brace for the damage on his own. One eyes crept open, and to his horror, the Griffin had chosen its target in the confusion.

Under Raven's cover, Estelle readied a healing spell just in case anyone needed it in the aftermath. Little did she know, the brilliant light she emitted act as a beacon to Griffin's blood red eyes.

As the plunder showed sign of stopping, Estelle's spell was almost ready until one meteoric tackle pushes her aside that her spell broke.

Then, one of the deadliest wail reverberate throughout the entire forest.

"Yuri!" the three shouted in unison.

Said man was swept away high into the air beyond reach, by none other than the Griffin who had its prey finally in its bloodied beak. They went aloft, with Yuri trying to break free and Griffin trying to tear the human into pieces with its claw.

Estelle had never felt so helpless in her life, not even when she was under the influence of Alexei.

"Let go of me, dammit!" his fist to the Griffin's face showed no effect. Desperate, Yuri plunges his Second Star blindingly to its throat, leaving it no choice but to release its prey to allow venting squawk.

They struggle mid-air, and the swordsman grabbed at its fur, "Eat this!" he pulled the blade out only to stab it a second time, right on top on the skull and the tip of blade protruded grotesquely from the chin of the Griffon.

There was a halt in the beat of its wings and the Griffin was finally caught in a spasm of death. Yuri didn't even had to celebrate when he realized the mistake in his action.

They sailed slowly through the air diagonally for a brief moment. Then steadily as the Gigant breathed its last, Estelle stared in horror as they now went vertically in a breakneck speed.

Her eyes dared not close, catching where the fall ended just in time with a faraway thud.

* * *

Unlike her friends, could Yuri be the one she called the truly invincible?

In a physical exchange, one must truly look out for themselves against the young Lowell. Yuri's swordplay fueled by his bodhi blastia and natural agility... . Even Acting Commandant Flynn, whom people considered the protector of the realm, suffered a clean defeat at the hands of this rogue.

As a matter of fact, she thinks that she had never seen him in an actual moment of weakness as if sadness or fear were never in his dictionary of emotions. If anger is weakness, then Yuri would have aplenty; but anger is usually in conjunction with strength so it wasn't valid to count in.

His tolerance to all the bad things in the world was borderline transcendent.

So to speak, physically and emotionally wise, there was no way to make this man shatter.

The princess herself was surprised at how she could manage to walk—run—so far with her own shaky feet. Her lips laced with prayers of his health. Judith was up ahead, while Raven purposely stayed a few steps behind Estelle... just in case.

They could hear Ba'ul's soft howl now, indicating that they were close to Yuri's last known location. Gradually they picked up speed, and it wasn't until Judith burst into a sudden sprint that the frantic princess know that they had found him.

She always thought he was invincible.

Now when Estelle had to witness as the man hanging in the brink of death, it was like a rude wake up call to her conscience.

There she saw, perhaps the most frightening sight she had even seen; more so when she had witness the Adephagos infiltrate the world or when Phareoh stood proud in front of her: the sight of her companion bathing in his own blood.

Yuri was there not far from the Griffin's carcass, both side's blood intermingling in an expanding puddle. He was lying half on his side, and half on his stomach - long hair curtained down most of his face save his left eyes and ears. Second Star, she noted, still wedged inside the Griffin's skull and what's left of the monster's gore. His clothes, gods, were tattered beyond repair, one of his sleeves was torn and the part where Griffin had its beak on was already non-existent...

One step, two, three, and one final step...

In a snap, Estelle's hand was brought up to her lips to muffle her gasp.

Of course she had seen the insides of an anatomy before, most were from monsters they fought or from the pages of the book she borrowed from physicians, but_ never_ ever of a human in the flesh.

And from Yuri no less...

She want to cry, to scream, to run all at once, but all she could do now was to stop and stare at him.

He was still, so still that she thought...

Yuri exhales a single breath, then another, and another.

Then thick crimson bubbled from his lips, and he spat a harsh cough.

_He's alive, thank the Spirits_. And Estelle release the breath she didn't know held for such a long time.

"Do what you must, darlin'." came Raven with an encouraging pat on her back, his voice cracked by a small degree, "You know the drill: stay calm, concentrate."

The healer afforded another pant and dropped to her knees beside the near-dead-but-not Yuri. She had wanted to scrutinize him but not now, she thought, not now. Her first priority was to stem his bleeding. Her fingers gently moved the caked hair from his face. There was another long meteoric wound on his cheek where he was clawed. She breathed deeply.

The comforting chime ringing from her spell made his head flinched slightly at her direction. "Es...stelle...?"

"Hush now." Estelle whispered softly, any louder and she will break into tears, "You will be alright, I promise you this much." Clasping both hands gently onto Yuri's, her breath turned steadier when the healing spell showed favorable results. Some shallower wounds weaved and knitted magically in soothing yellow when Yuri found the strength to crack one eye open.

For a moment, her spell was interrupted. She had to swallow a sob to keep her incantation in line; the obsidian orb of his... now unfocused and clouded in pain. Something that she had never learn to grow used to.

She weaved her third spell by now. Hovering her hand over his abdomen where most of the flesh was torn away, Estelle almost screamed in frustration at how it wasn't responding to her efforts.

_You must be better, Yuri. For Brave Vesperia, for us, for—_

Ba'ul's howl pulled her back into her working mode. Dimly, she was aware on how the Fiertia was docked in a careful manner near where they were. Meanwhile, Judith returned to Estelle's side quietly bearing Yuri's katana and a frown. "We need to get Yuri back to Fiertia. The blood will no doubt attract more monster here."

"Damn, kiddo, whatever had happened here?" Raven was answered with a weak huff and a glare, "Hmm, suppose I can leave it til' ya get better. Fer' now, let's get him into the ship."

"Judith, I-" after a long hiatus, Estelle finally found her panicky voice, "I can't stop his bleeding. His wound is too deep and I couldn't— I don't think it's safe enough to move—"

"It's all right, I understand. You had done your best for now." cooed Judith, "You can try again later. But for now we need to get Yuri inside Fiertia. It's not safe but Raven and I will manage." her unspoken promise was met with a reluctant nod and a tear. She hated doing this to the helpless princess but it couldn't be help, "Raven?"

"Gotcha'."

For one silent moment, Estelle allowed one stray tear; just one, to fall in a shiny streak down her cheek. Watching as the old soldier carefully tucked the injured man in his arms.

"C'mon, kid. Ya' cannot always depend on the old man ta' do all yer' grunt work."

* * *

You see, if there was anyone that Estellise wouldn't worry much about, it's always Yuri Lowell. Of course she cared for him as deeply as she would her friends, but he somewhat always ended at the bottom of her list of people she should look out for.

Always the last to fall in battle, always the calmest in trouble abound.

Alas, high tolerance does not equal to immune.

She bit her lips as she removed her soaked gloves and mutter the beginnings of her next spell._  
_

Perhaps the excessive bleeding had taken a toll on him, Yuri began mumbling deliriously by the time he laid prostrate on the bed of Fiertia's cabin. Eyes glassy, the injured was surely stuck in between the realm of living and dreams, because his head lolled to one side, closed his eyes, then to the other. In a better place and better hand and without the Griffin in vicinity, he seemed to regain the rhytym of his breathing.

Naturally as the assigned healer and caretaker, it was Estelle who remained by Yuri's bedside to nurse him back into health soon after he was hauled back. Rita and Karol did visit him when they returned from Yumanju, but didn't—couldn't—stay for long.

They were shell shocked, of course, for Yuri Lowell to be in such grave condition. The mage observed him for a bit but when her eyes fell upon the huge gaping wound, she turned her back mouthing, "Idiot." before retreating with a restrained sob, while the latter broke down shamelessly that Judith had to remove him from the cabin. Raven took to himself to offer the team of emotional support.

Only Repede was brave enough to withstand the gore alongside Estelle. Upon entering the room, Repede had been alerted by the stench of blood that he was by the bedside in a flash. Seeing that his master was still alive calmed him enough, he nudged the limp hand with his nose, whined, then stared at Estelle meaningfully with his one eye. Estelle nodded her assurance and he barked his gratitude before tucking himself away at the corner, close enough to observe the two humans yet not enough to intrude them. The pipe shifted in his doggy mouth, and quietly he rested his head on his extended paws.

It took her endless holy chanting, few hasty bites of lemon gel proffered by Repede and forehead peppered in sweat. Fortunately for Yuri, Estelle's healing artes made great progress than the last. The small notches were gone and most of the bleeding point had clotted to a stop. From where the Griffin's fang had torn through his flesh however, it would require continuous channeling for the healing properties to take full effect.

The sheets and mattress were stained in blood and Estelle made a mental note that she would replace them after Yuri's recovery. Yuri's recovery...

Oh, he must recover to his former healthy self, anything less is not acceptable.

"There," she breathed with a small smile once the tear on his face was gone, "all there's left is the one on your side."

His breath was shaky and his eyes still clouded. Nevertheless, he blinked once to acknowledge her.

But then he twitched violently then, his mouth moved as if he had something to say but alas, all he could manage was a moan. "Mmrgh..."

"Hold still, please!" Estelle reprimanded. His chest moved rapidly and when Estelle reached over to restrain him, she went shock still.

He had his hand ringed around her wrist. The grasp weak and Estelle knew she could remove herself without effort, but she found no will to do so.

"No," he gritted firmly albeit weakly, "...Don't."

"Yuri, please let me take off your shirt. I need to clean off the blood so I can assess your injury."

"No," he repeated, his voice clearer this time.

"Why?"

He grew silent.

Neither moved as they stared at each other in the eye.

Speaking of eyes, Estelle noted that something was stirring beneath those rich, onyx orbs of Yuri's. The fog slowly lifted and his gaze turned clearer by every passing seconds. Her reverie was only interrupted by the rustle of the sheets. She obediently followed the sound, and dipped her head to find his hand on hers removed.

In a bloody trail it moved, across the threshold of the bunk bed, over the stained sheets and finally at his own shirt.

With a loud sigh, Yuri tugged the hem of his shirt slightly, granting her the silent permission to continue where he left off.

Finally.

And off she went to uncover whatever he had hidden underneath that he was so adamant on keeping from her.

Now she understand why.

In the midst of blood, littered scars and the aftermaths of elemental attacks. It couldn't be possible, she thought, in a battle she never fail to heal whenever one was afflicted. But this... this is ridiculous!

Pales silver linings brimmed from the lower base of his chest expanding down to his abdomen and a lane across his arms where his clothes could hide. Most were small cuts and burn marks he insists on forgetting about, but there were few which stood out; a jagged cross settle just where his heart lay underneath and a long, grisly dash running from his collarbone vertically down to his stomach.

How in the world could she have missed that?

While most stories were untold of, though there were some that Estelle knew by heart. Take the one on his abdomen where she could see through the slit on his clothes for example; it was after Zaude, she remembered. Uncalled for but she happened to spot it when in an offhanded gaze, and that was the only one scar she had seen in him!

Now with the latest Griffin's beak added to his vast collection.

This...

As compared to the little nicks and gashes of hers—which the imperial physician would fret tumultuously about—hers were_ nothing_ to the ones mapped onto his body.

Her shaky fingers grazed on a particular one right beside the Griffin's, she thinks... she thinks she knew where this one came from: on top of Zaphias, when she was under Alexei's influence... Of course she did, there's no way she could ever forget when Yuri crossed swords with her. She remember every bits and moment crystal clear and when her sword pierced his skin—right where this scar lay—she begged the Spirits to have Yuri kill her this moment.

Then to the one on his left shoulder, this was a scorching mark instead. Oh yes, Egothor Forest. The impulsive Yuri had deflected a cannon from a blastia head on just so she won't have to do it herself. And did he do a wonderful job of hiding that injury? She had barely notice that it was actually _this_ bad.

These morbid patterns... If not from her, it's for her.

She was openly weeping by his bedside now. How? When? He always said he was fine... Perhaps it was the time when Yuri walked away quickly soon after a battle was over? Or when he left his friends for a breath of air during a healing session? More tears leaked from the pool when she came to a realization: all these times, Yuri had been sacrificing his own priority for the sake of his comrade.

A small chuckle broke her from her reveries. She looked at him and he was smiling sadly.

"...Scary?" was all he asked. Even in this moment he still find the strength to clown with her.

"You...you heroic idiot!" was all her limited vocabulary labelled 'obscene expletive' could come up with. In fact, it was borrowed from Rita at one point, "You reckless—"

He responded her useless assault with more chuckles, "Sticks and stones, 'Stelle. Sticks and stones."

"Sticks and stones indeed, Yuri Lowell." her fingers could barely keep up the healing glow, "You knew you could get hurt! But you kept it to yourself!" the back of her hand swept away the tears and she choked, "Are you... are you not afraid of anything at all?"

"Of course I am afraid. We all are and I am no exception, I am _always_ afraid. " he whispered harshly, garnering a gasp, "I'm not unbreakable."

See? Even the strongest man will break.

"Ya' know, when I fell from Zaude... I remember being awake in the sea before Duke could rescue me. I kept floating... I couldn't move, I couldn't breath, and there were things keep biting at me like fish food... But I couldn't feel anything..." a pause for breath, "Numb to the pain, it's the first sign of death. When I pass out, I thought I was done for. I-I—"

What do you expect for a man to plunge from a hundreds feet tall structure straight into the vast ocean below? Of course there would be broken bones, and Yuri was bleeding from a stab wound no less, a definite prey for those carnivorous sea creatures. To survive itself is a miracle, and to manage as much Yuri? He appeared to be inexplicably better in only one night of rest.

He's either invincible—like she said—or he's immortal.

He's neither of those.

Now to see him shuddering in his own fear, it was like a boy trying to put up on a manly front.

This is Yuri Lowell in all his vulnerability.

"Yuri—"

"From that day on, I was always afraid—"

"No—"

"Even today, I was scared sleeping and waking up to find myself in hell—"

"I said—"

"Now with the Adephagos in the picture, I couldn't—

"Stop."

He did and only because there was a weight landed on top of him.

Estelle had half her body wrapped around his healed one in an awkward embrace. Her forehead pressed firmly onto his neck, his blood smeared her pristine dress but she paid no mind to it, because the blood was supposed to be hers in many different occasion.

"You are too selfless for your own good." she wailed into his chest, "Why didn't you tell us? Do you not believe in us?"

She felt his chest hitched.

"...Course' not." he said, "I believed in you guys, which is exactly why I did this all."

She lifted her head and met his weak peer.

"What do you mean?"

"On the contrary of your selfless part, Estelle, what I did is actually selfish." she raised an eyebrow, the willingness of getting harmed in your friend's place is selfish? What's Yuri's logic? "I told you I was scared. And to combat that, you guys were the only thing keeping me going so far."

She remained silent, her arms still around his torso.

"I thought working alone suit me best... But when I got myself in trouble, it's always someone else pulling me out of the ditch. I can't do everything myself." he said, "And then I had Brave Vesperia. Odd bunch we are but sticking with you guys make my fear... lessen. So I thought that keeping you guys safe was the least I could do to have you around." he stopped and she saw a frown marred his face.

"But geez, do I sound like I'm using you guys... How do I say this? Ah, I'm bad in explaining..."

He didn't need to say much further.

She had already starting to get the picture.

"So you're saying that despite all your flaws, you knew you can overcome the world by having your friends by your side, which is why you are willing to overlook your weakness and do anything to protect them."

"You always put it better than I did, Estelle." he smiled.

"Even if you're not invincible?"

"Yeah, that. I might not be invincible, but having you guys around doesn't make things feel so bad than being by myself. Next to everyone, feels like I could take on the Adephagos."

That was it all along.

Being omnipotent was not the deciding factor of everything going on.

"Now that I've spill my guts to you," his eyes brightened suddenly, "Can I get some sleep?"

"Certainly. And even if you want to stay awake, I'll be sure to tuck you in anyway. You need all the rest that you can get."

"Lest Rita might be tearing Karol's head off to compensate the false upset."

"You're right."

He managed another chuckle before his breath turns deeper and steadier. His eyes drooping little by little and he manage to fall asleep before commenting offhandedly.

"We're gonna be okay." it was the last thing she heard from him before he settled into a soft snore.

But it was enough.

"Yes."

And there she perched by his bedside to watch him sleep. Estelle spent another good while transfusing more of her healing artes to him, just in case there's more invisible wounds on his insides need mending.

On the back of her mind, she knew that Yuri meant his words.

Sure, they were no fairy tale heroes. Sure, they were not unbreakable.

Sure, not Karol, not Rita, not Repede, not Judith, not Raven, not Yuri, not herself, not Brave Vesperia...

Not even everyone else in the entire world...

No one's invincible.

So what if they were not?

If she could simply look past the truth like Yuri did, she believe that they are going to be okay no matter how the next day could unfold, for better or worse. Cheesy it might sound, but as long as they had someone by their side, what could be a matter?

And before she could ask for, Estelle found Repede nuzzling his nose to her dress before slipping another lemon gel to her lap.

* * *

_Author's Note: I actually based the story on a real life event. I know what you're all thinking: "Oh c'mon! Just a Griffin could kick Yuri's ass that much?" Hear me out, though. So I went recipe boosting and Yumanju happens to sell all of the ingredients at once, so off I went battling the air outta me... and then I wander off too far... and you know, Griffin popped out of the thin air._

_Battered and most of items spent on those previous battle spree, I had to stage a last stand against that bird, who promptly kicked my butt in my disadvantage... It wasn't until Estelle (whom I had in my party) was the last one standing that I know: I had to bail._

_So thank you all for reading and do leave me a feedback if there's anything need reinforcement. _


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